Memory of my beloved parents

13th and 17th of this month were the birth anniversaries of my father and mother respectively. I fondly remember them and all the sacrifices that they did for us.

Anantha Vratham

Today is a very auspicious day for Hindus. Anantha Padmanaabha Swamy form of His Almighty Shree Mahaa Vishnu along with His wife Shree Mahaa Lakshmi is worshipped by devotees on this day.

Vaamanaa Fest

Day before yesterday was a very auspicious day for Hindus. This was the day on which His Almighty Shree Mahaa Vishnu descended on the Earth as a Brahmin boy revered in Scriptures as 'Vaamanaa' and appeared before King Mahaabali (grandson of Prahalaadhaa, the greatest devotee of Lord Narasimha, another Avataar of Shree Mahaa Vishnu) and blessed him. This day is celebrated as 'Onam', a state festival in Kerala, by people across barriers.

Balarama Fest and Dhanvanthari Fest

Yesterday was a very auspicious day in the Hindu Calender. This is the day on which His Almighty Shree Mahaa Vishnu incarnated himself  as Lord Dhanvanthari (known as Lord of medicines) many Yugaas back. 

This is also the day on which Balaraamaa (Elder brother of Shree Krishna) was born in Dwaapara Yuga that ended nearly 5000 years back, after which Kali Yuga, the present Yuga, was created by The Almighty Shree Mahaa Vishnu.

Shree Varaahaa Fest

Today is a very auspicious day in the Hindu Calender as this is the day on which the Supreme Almighty Shree Hari incarnated as Varaahaa to protect the Vedaas (Divine Scriptures) from evil forces billions of years back.

Lord Vinaayakaa Fest

Today is a very auspicious day in the Hindu (Sanaathana Dharmaa) Calender. This day is celebrated as Vinaayakaa Chaturti (known also as Ganesh Chaturti). Lord Vinaayakaa is the son of the Divine couple Paarvathi and Parameshwaraa. This day is considered to be the day on which Lord Ganesha was created. He is one of the sub deities according to Maadhwaa sect (to which I belong).

Today is my beloved father's death anniversary according to the Hindu (Sanaathana Dharmaa) calender. I fondly remember him.

PM's visit to Bhutan

TV programs about Our Prime Minister's visit to Bhutan and his address to students of Royal University brought pleasant memories of my stay in the Druk Kingdom, 40 years back. I remember my two days' stay in the University campus (which was a Higher Secondary School  known as Sherubtse College, at that time. I was there as Visiting Examiner for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, equivalent to GCE O Level). I fondly remember Prabhakaran Nair who was also an Examiner and a good friend. As Mary Hopkin sings, "Those were the days my friend ..."

Woodstock

Today is the 50th anniversary of the Woodstock Festival that took place in a New York suburb. I think that people of my age would remember the festival in which several rock musicians participated. Though the Woodstock Fest did accompany negative factors such as drugs and hippies, promotion of good softrock was welcome by numerous pop music fans then. (I remember how I used to complete my Physics Lab at college and rush home to listen to Woodstock proceedings on Voice of America).

Vishnu Fest

Today is a very auspicious day in the Sanaathana Dharmaa calendar.  It was on this day several million years back that Shree Mahaa Vishnu incarnated as Hayagriva, restored the Divine Vedaas and gave it to Lord Brahma. In this avataar He took the face and neck of a beautiful horse (In Sanskrit, 'haya'  and 'griva' mean 'horse' and 'neck' respectively). He is worshipped mainly as Lord of Knowledge and Wisdom.